Atlanta Eagle plaintiffs to receive checks Thursday from city settlement

Robby Kelley and Richard Ramey, owners of the Atlanta Eagle who sued as a company and not individuals, said the amount they received was approximately $80,000. That amount, they said, would only cover the losses the bar incurred following the illegal raid.

“For those of us involved, it was never about the money,” Curran said. “It was about changing the police department’s policies.”

While receiving the check 15 months after the raid conducted by the APD’s Vice Unit and the Red Dog Unit might imply the dispute is over, Curran said the fight continues.

As part of the settlement process, the APD must investigate each officer involved in the raid and Curran said he and the other plaintiffs must still do interviews with the police department’s Office of Professional Standards.

“I kind of thought it would be over when we got our checks, but technically we’re still dealing with and will be dealing with it for awhile,” he said. “It’s not really going to be over until the APD does implement the reforms and changes the way it is run and organized.”

On the night of the raid on the gay Midtown bar, Red Dog Unit officers forced patrons to the floor and illegally searched and detained them for more than hour without a warrant. The officer used anti-gay slurs and forceful tactics to keep people on the floor, including shoving and stepping on backs of people. No patrons were charged.

For the GA Voice’s coverage of the entire lawsuit and settlement process, click here.

For other information, also check out the official Atlanta Eagle Raid website set up by Grossman here.